“A New Model for Them”: Man Speculates How Walmart in Roodepoort Might Beat Competitors

• A man in Roodepoort, Johannesburg, gave people a glimpse of a Walmart store opening at Clearwater Mall
• The regional property consultant spoke about how the megastore operates in the United States and wondered how things would be in a different environment, such as South Africa
• Social media users in the TikTok post's comment section expressed their thoughts and concerns

Kura Chihota, a regional property consultant, gave online viewers a glimpse of the Walmart store that is set to open soon at Clearwater Mall in Roodepoort. With over 10 000 stores across 19 countries, Kura wondered how it would operate in South Africa.

On 13 November, 2025, the man uploaded a TikTok video showing him standing outside the retail giant. He noted that Walmart is an established international brand, adding:

"Their formula in the United States is a preference to own real estate, but they do lease in certain circumstances. Here, this is almost a new model for them, where they are going to rent in an existing shopping mall."

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Kura stated that Walmart is renowned in the United States for expanding into peripheral towns and creating new developments through the sheer scale of its projects. Oftentimes, they develop a superstore spanning thousands of square metres, and Kura felt he had an inkling of why they chose to do so.

"I think the game that they want to play is that they want to control their real estate costs. If you get into a shopping centre environment, a savvy landlord is going to tie you into a base rental and have a turnover clause."

He claimed that Walmarts are "particularly sticky investments." Once people start buying the stores, due to the huge global procurement, they can bring in goods at very low cost, making it difficult for people to compete.

"Is it going to work in South Africa? I don't know. This is a different demographic. Where they typically build on the outskirts of a small town, where you don't have much competition, I don't know how the other big boxes in Clearwater will feel about this global giant participating."

South Africans talk about Walmart in Roodepoort

Very few TikTok users commented on the store's opening, though some expressed curiosity about its presence in South Africa. Massmart, a subsidiary of Walmart, is a South African retail and wholesale company operating a portfolio of businesses. These stores include Makro, Game, and Builders Warehouse.

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@tundratrailblazer8 pointed out:

"Walmart has been in South Africa for a long time under the Massmart Holdings Limited. This operation is not new to us."

@alexanderdlange said to the online community:

"Watch how the products are going to be the same as Marko."

@ntle_mas5 wrote under the post:

"I'm curious about what the Makro vs Walmart play is."

@balindile59 confused online users when they stated:

"My concern is about the jobs that may be at risk because of this giant. Anyway, let's wait and see."

@peakintheblinders humorously added with a laugh:

"I'm just thinking about the wors roll stand outside."

Watch the TikTok video posted on Kura's account below:

3 Other stories about Walmart

• In another article, Briefly News reported that the initial news of Walmart coming to Mzansi divided locals. Some viewed the arrival as an opportunity for affordable shopping, while others considered the effect on small businesses.
• A South African toured Walmart in the United States, giving people back home a glimpse of what the global retailer might bring to local markets. The post sparked strong opinions about people's shopping habits.
• An Afrikaner with an H-2A visa showed how expensive groceries were when he recorded his and his wife's trip to the store. Shoppers suggested more affordable stores for essentials.

Source: Briefly News